The Fender® Bassman is Back
 February 3, 2000
This January, Fender is very proud to introduce a
full line of bass amplifiers - the all new Bassman Series. Designed with
contemporary electric bass players in mind, the new Bassman amps are feature-loaded
to equip working pros with the tools to get the job done. This is a full
range of professional amplifiers that are designed for any situation from
the smallest club to packed halls, from home recording to high-powered
session dates.
Not your typical bass "box", these new Bassman combos have
come a long way from Leo's original tweed model. Fender's Research &
Development team have spent years in the lab with a team of pro bassists,
working together to create a new line of bass amps that are toneful, portable,
and flexible . . . responsive, articulate, and punchy, and that have modern
features as relevant to today's musicians as Leo's original Bassman was
back in 1952. The result? Four bass amplifiers - ranging from the Bassman
25 to the Bassman 400.
Bassman 400
Heading up the new line is the Bassman 400. Large enough to play any
professional venue, the 400 is structurally engineered to travel - a road-worthy,
portable combo at only 80 lbs, and with a steel grill.
350 Watts (at 4 Ohms) of pound through two ten inch 8 Ohm Fender Special
Design Eminence drivers and one 8 Ohm Foster horn. "The tens and
horn are really great for modern bass sounds and techniques like string
slapping and popping," says Ray Riendeau, professional bassist and
Fender clinician.
The Bassman 400 comes equipped with a three-band semi-parametric EQ,
built-in compressor and a Room Balance feature to quickly adjust your
overall tone for the architecture of the room. There's also an "Enhance"
circuit that adjusts the EQ to a particular playing style, for example,
quickly switching from finger-style to slapping or a more funky timbre.
Additional on-board features for the modern bassist include: an effects
loop; active/passive input pad selector; tuner out jack with mute and
flashing indicator; balanced line out with level control; signal present
indicator; preamp clip indicator; EQ active indicator; and Master Volume,
Gain, Room Balance, Bass and Treble controls.
There's also room in the cabinet to mount a tuner or any single space
rack device. Casters make for easy portability of this combo, which also
includes a one-button footswitch (EQ).
Available in stores April, 2000. United States MSRP is $1,299.99.
Bassman 100
For bassists
who want the professional features of the Bassman 400, but who might not
need all of its power, Fender offers the Bassman 100. A solid-state, and
portable combo, the Bassman 100 cranks out 100 Watts (at 4 Ohms) through
a fifteen inch Fender Special Design Eminence driver and piezo horn, delivering
tones that are characteristic of this new line.
As with all of the new Bassman amplifiers, the Bassman 100 is equipped
with features like an effects loop, separate tuner output and an "Enhance"
circuit. Also standard on this model are: active/passive input pad selector;
compressor-limiter; tuner mute with flashing indicator; power amp clip
and preamp clip indicators; compressor level indicator; and an XLR line-out.
The Bassman 100 has standard controls (Master Volume, Gain, Bass, Treble),
and a semi-parametric mid-control with mid-levels and frequency that offers
a variety of tones for the contemporary bassist.
Available in stores March, 2000. United States MSRP is $699.99.
Bassman 60
Either a rehearsal amp or an on-stage monitor for working musicians,
this lower Wattage solid-state combo is a versatile working amplifier
for everyone with fat strings!
Pros will welcome the Bassman 60's "wedge" cabinet design.
In addition to being an amplifier for rehearsals or studio work, the wedge
allows performers to "kick" the cabinet back to a 45 degree
angle, becoming an stage monitor. The Bassman 60 features a single twelve
inch Fender Special Design Eminence driver and piezo horn, driven by 60
Watts (at 8 Ohms). Many of the same features of the Bassman 100 are found
on this model, with the addition of a "Limiter" select switch
that limits the amount of clipping from the power amp.
Available in stores April, 2000. United States MSRP is $529.99.
Bassman 25
To round out the line-up of new Bassman amplifiers, Fender offers the
Bassman 25.
The Bassman 25 is small, weighing only 33 pounds, and is designed to
fit anywhere from the living room to the tour bus. The built-in headphone
jack allows players to hook up and jam without disturbing sleeping bandmates.
Additionally, there is an auxiliary input jack for a CD player, which
lets bassists play along with a favorite tune or rehearse with a studio
cut.
A single ten inch Fender Special Design Eminence driver delivers a flexible
25 Watts (at 8 Ohms). For even more of a boost, the Bassman 25 has an
external speaker out jack that will power any 8 Ohm cabinet.
The Bassman 25 features active and passive inputs, effects loop, auxiliary
level control, 1/4 inch line out, tuner mute switch with indicator, Volume,
Bass, Mid and Treble controls, and Fender's new Enhance circuit.
Available in stores March, 2000. United States MSRP is $369.99.
For more information
contact Fender at www.fender.com. | 
